And so it begins...

Our "cottage" (as I like to call it to make it sound charming instead of just small) was our very first house--a new construction house with few (no?) upgrades when we bought it (the builder called things like air conditioning and windows on the side of the house "upgrades").  In the intervening years I have learned a little bit about a lot of different home improvement topics, and I have personally made the following improvements to our home:

• Painted every wall and ceiling between one and four times
• Tiled three bathroom floors and a laundry nook
• Installed laminate flooring on the first floor (with help) and in the basement and 2nd floor (by myself)
• Installed DRIcore panels in the basement (to warm things up for a bedroom)
• Replaced every lighting fixture
• Replaced all doors, casings, and baseboards
• Trimmed out the all of the windows (when did builders stop installing casing around windows?  We didn't even notice they didn't have trim until we closed on our house...those model homes can really distract with their fussy window treatments.)
• Gutted the kitchen and installed new cabinets (with help) and installed a tile backsplash, new faucet, and garbage disposal
• Replaced every toilet and faucet
• Installed a new master vanity
• Elfa-ed every closet in the house, and some other things, too
• Installed built-in bookcases with lighting in the living room
• Built a ten-foot-tall copper trellis (learning how to cut and solder pipe was super fun.  Also hot.)

So, I've made a lot of mistakes, learned a lot, and pretty much have a house that matches the picture in my head.  I'm not sure I saved much money, but I have lots of tools to show for it.

When we bought this house, we had one baby and thought we'd be here five years, tops.  Thirteen years and three more babies later, things are snug, and it's time for a change.  We're interested in a nearby neighborhood that will require minimal disruption for our kids as far as school goes.  I'm looking forward to a new design challenge and am already making lists and collecting ideas.  So, we're hoping the right house will come on the market this spring.  In the meantime, I'll spend the winter freshening up a few things in preparation for listing our house.